29 January to 9 February 2024, Nadi Fiji

Twenty-one (21) Master Trainers are certified, by the completion of the final Working Group activity of the Master Trainer Programme (MTP) on Customs Valuation and HS Classification for the Pacific Islands, held in Nadi, Fiji, from 29 January to 9 February 2024. Mr. Jun TAJIMA, Program Manager of the ROCB A/P attended.

The Fifth Working Group Activity was organized by the WCO/JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Joint Project with the support of ROCB A/P as well as in cooperation with the Fiji Revenue & Customs Service and the Oceana Customs Organization (OCO).

The MTP aims to establish self-sustainable and autonomous training capacity in key Customs work areas in the participating regions by developing a pool of well-qualified trainers and training materials/programmes that meet regional needs.

The nominated participants (WG members) from Customs Administrations of the Pacific sub-Region have worked through five working group sessions and intersessional activities for 2-3 years, and it was their last Working Group.  Twenty-one Working Group members on Valuation and HS from six WCO Members, namely Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu, participated.

It was the final Working Group activity of a series of progressive training activities, and, the first week of MTP Working Group, members conducted a training session in a real scenario, in front of trainees invited by the OCO. These OCO participants greatly appreciated the training sessions provided by Working Group members and one of them mentioned that it was the best training that he had.

Following the successful accomplishment of the training sessions for the participants invited by OCO, all 21 MTP Working Group members were certified as Master Trainers. The Master Trainers are expected to actively conduct capacity-building activities as regional assets.

At the closing, Mr. Jun TAJIMA, Program Manager of the ROCB A/P, congratulated the Working Group members of their successful completion of the 3-year programme and encouraged the participants to contribute to the Pacific neighbours with their acquired knowledge and skills.

Although the ROCB A/P’s support finished at the first week, the successful Working Group members attended a WCO pre-accreditation workshop on Valuation and HS in the following week. The participants who successfully completed the pre-accreditation Workshop will be invited to the next stage of the WCO expert accreditation process, and they are expected to contribute their sub-region and beyond, on behalf of the WCO.

For more information, please contact: rocb@rocbap.org